Stand mixers, such as the Kenwood Chef kitchen machine, are well known and have been well established in use for many years. Over the years, mixers of this kind have been adapted and developed so as to perform an ever broadening range of functions, and many such devices incorporate, for example, a plurality of selectively usable drive outlets capable of running at different speeds and having differing torque characteristics, thus enabling them to perform a wide spread of operations.
Recent technical developments have provided stand mixers with a still broader operational capability, as it has been proposed to incorporate heating arrangements into such machines, thereby to enable foodstuffs to be heated whilst being stirred or mixed by the normal planetary mixing action of the stand mixer. Of course, the heating arrangements can be used or not, according to user requirements, and it will also be appreciated that the heating temperature and the heating time are both controllable, enabling the user to apply any desired degree of heating; for example sufficient to completely cook, to partially cook, or to merely warm ingredients.
In preferred embodiments, the heating means is incorporated into the stand mixer, though it is possible for a heater to be incorporated into a bowl or other receptacle containing the ingredients, or for a heater to be incorporated into a heating pad which is separate from both the bowl and the stand mixer, but may be temporarily associated with them, for example by being interposed between the two, when required to perform a heating function.